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Atalanta faced Inter Milan in the Super Cup with some of their stars players led by Ademola Lookman on the bench.
Atalanta's head coach Gian Piero Gasperini has faced scrutiny after opting to bench key players, including Nigeria’s star forward Ademola Lookman, in their match against Serie A leaders Inter Milan.
The decision came back to haunt the experienced coach and his Atalanta, who suffered a disappointing 2-0 defeat on Thursday night.
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Lookman, who has been an important figure for Atalanta this season, watched from the sidelines for 56 minutes before being introduced into the game.
The encounter began with Inter taking the lead through a stunning overhead kick from Denzel Dumfries in the first half. Despite Atalanta's attempts to equalise, they struggled against Inter's well-organised defence.
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Gasperini's decision to bench Lookman and other key players like Charles De Ketelaere and Ederson raised eyebrows, particularly as the team failed to capitalise on their chances.
Just five minutes after Lookman's introduction, Dumfries struck again, effectively sealing Inter's victory and Atalanta's hopes of competing for the trophy.
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Following the match, Gasperini was quick to defend his choices, stating that the decision was strategic rather than dismissive of the match's importance.
“I was not experimenting at all,” he stated per Football Italia. “We have many players, we had a long and tough run of games, and the Supercoppa came at the right time for us to verify players who contributed, but played relatively little compared to others.”
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The coach continued, “We did not snub anything; we tried to win the game against a very strong opponent. To win this type of match, we need to make fewer mistakes at both ends.”
He acknowledged that while Atalanta created several chances, including a notable header from defender Scalvini before the break, they were ultimately punished for their errors.
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Gasperini also highlighted the need for squad rotation, explaining, “It was an important opportunity; we cannot have De Ketelaere and Lookman play 90 minutes for 56 games. I played Brescianini, Samardzic, Zaniolo; these are not exactly unknowns.”
He concluded by expressing confidence in his squad, adding, “All players have quality; I try to bring more out of them, and the best way to give them confidence is to let them play in games like this.”
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Despite the defeat, Gasperini remains optimistic about the team's potential, noting, “Inter are one of the best sides in Europe, so doing well against them and getting the sense we could’ve done better is reassuring going forward.”
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